Orkney Single Malt The Light 17YO
⏳ Drinking Window
As a distilled spirit, this single malt does not mature further in the bottle. It is ready to be enjoyed immediately upon release and can be kept indefinitely if stored upright in a cool, dark place. Once opened, it is best consumed within 1 to 3 years to experience its full aromatic complexity.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Smoked salmon or trout, mild blue cheeses like Stilton, and fruit-based desserts such as pear tart or vanilla panna cotta.
✨ Technical Specifications
Highland Park, established in 1798 in the windswept Orkney Islands of Scotland, is deeply rooted in Viking history and Norse mythology. 'The Light' is a special 17-year-old single malt release designed to celebrate the spring and summer solstices on Orkney, contrasting with its sibling release, 'The Dark'. Unlike Highland Park's typical sherry-cask influence, 'The Light' is matured exclusively in refill American oak casks. This specific aging process allows the distillery's signature distillate to shine, highlighting notes of sweet pear, warm vanilla, and nutmeg, all underpinned by the gentle, aromatic peat smoke unique to Orkney's heather-rich peat bogs.
🍾 About the Producer
Perched on the windswept Orkney archipelago off Scotland's northern coast, Highland Park was founded in 1798 by illicit distiller Magnus Eunson before securing official licensing in 1826. Owned by Edrington and directed by Master Whisky Maker Marc Watson, the distillery remains one of the few in Scotland to maintain traditional floor maltings for a portion of its barley. Terroir here is inextricably linked to the island's environment: Orkney's tree-deficient landscape yields heather-rich peat harvested from nearby Hobbister Moor, imparting an aromatic, floral smoke fundamentally distinct from the medicinal iodine of Islay. Distillation occurs in copper pot stills, followed by patient maturation predominantly in sherry-seasoned European and American oak casks within maritime dunnage warehouses. Celebrated benchmark expressions include the flagship 12, 18, and 21 Year Old releases, as well as ultra-aged rarities such as the Orcadian Vintage Series and landmark 40- and 50-year-old single malts.